How the Cellphone Got ‘Smart’

Human intelligence has a long and illustrious history. From Greek philosophers to geek programmers, being called a “smart” person is, and always has been, a weighty commendation.

With such high inherent value placed on intelligence, bestowing telecommunications devices with the personified moniker “smartphones” means those devices better be pretty revolutionary — and boy, are they ever.

After being introduced in the late 1990s, smartphones have come to define the way individual people connect to the rest of the world. The top five manufacturers shipped nearly half a billion devices around the world in 2011 alone. About half of the mobile phones used in the U.S. are “smart,” and that percentage is growing rapidly, according to Nielsen data released in March. More at Mashable. Thanks to Paul.

Interesting look at the history of phones.